Looking to impress your significant other with a delicious, restaurant-caliber meal? You might be surprised to find out that the inspiration for this salmon recipe, perfect for a cozy dinner for two, is a breakfast favorite: bagel and lox. What may also surprise you is the flavor explosion that you will experience in your mouth.

Served atop an arugula salad with a fresh lemon-caper vinaigrette, this crusted salmon recipe is “everything” you want, complete with toasty, salty, savory, and bold, peppery flavors. Not only that, I will even coach you on how to plate it like a pro!

Fun fact #1: Believe it or not, there’s some controversy over the invention of the “everything bagel.” However, Queens native David Gussin, who was just a teen working a part-time job at a bakery at the time, is often credited with the creation. As the story goes, Gussin got the idea when sweeping out the bottom of the oven at the end of his shift. Instead of discarding the seeds, seasonings, and spices, he asked his boss if he could put them on a bagel, which was a huge hit with customers, and the “everything” bagel was born.

Everything Bagel-Crusted Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 4-ounce salmon filets
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tbsp “everything bagel” seasoning (see recipe below)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp capers, minced
• ½ shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 6 chives, chopped
• 3 ounces baby arugula
• ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ shallot, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place salmon filets on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush tops of salmon with Dijon mustard and sprinkle with “everything bagel” seasoning generously and evenly.
3. Bake until salmon is flaky, firm, and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 8 – 12 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. While salmon is baking, prepare the vinaigrette. Combine capers, minced shallot, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in olive oil and whisk briskly until oil and lemon juice are fully combined. Slowly drizzling oil into lemon juice while whisking briskly yields a temporary suspension, or emulsion, which creates a creamy vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and chives. Season to taste with salt.
7. Add arugula to the bowl containing the lemon-caper vinaigrette and toss gently.
8. Place a bed of dressed arugula in the center of the plate. Top with halved tomatoes, sliced shallot, and salmon. Place a dollop of chive sour cream on the salmon, garnish with lemon zest, and enjoy!

The Everything Bagel Seasoning

To make your own homemade “everything bagel” seasoning for this salmon recipe, you don’t have to visit your local bakery and beg for leftover seeds and seasonings from the bottom of the oven. And while you can buy “everything bagel” seasoning already prepared, mixing up a batch at home is simple.

What can you use it for? With its toasty, salty, and savory flavors, a better question is what can’t you use it for. I use it for crusting…well…everything, and you can use it in hummus, mix it with Greek yogurt for a dip, and even add it to scrambled eggs.

To make “everything bagel” seasoning, simply combine the following:

• 3 parts white sesame seeds
• 3 parts poppy seeds
• 2 parts dehydrated minced garlic
• 1 part dehydrated minced onion
• ½ part coarse sea salt

Fun fact #2: Salmon is a great source of omega-3’s, which are important for nearly every aspect of human health, including brain health, mood, heart health, metabolic function, eye health and vision, skin and joint health, and more. Salmon is also one of the few foods naturally high in vitamin D, which also impacts virtually all corners of health. It’s also a great source of protein, selenium, niacin, and vitamins B12 and B6, and it’s a good source of iodine, choline, and potassium.

Everything Bagel-Crusted Salmon Recipe Nutrition Info (per serving):
Servings per recipe: 2

• Calories: 400
• Fat: 31.5g
• Carbs: 4.5g
• Fiber: 1.5g
• Protein: 25g